. 24/7 Availability. Richard Cottingham, now 78, is a former computer programmer linked to at least 12 murders from the 60s and 70s. By all accounts, he seemed to be leading an everyday life in Lodi, New Jersey, with his wife and three kids. He also cut off her breasts and placed them on the headboard in the room. Graduating, landing a solid job, marriage and having multiple children. Richard had abducted the woman and brought her to a hotel. This would prove difficult for Richard, as it was reported that he was a loner with very few, if any, friends. Her arms were still handcuffed behind her back. When found her head was hanging by a thread. In a sign of things to come, Cottingham had kidnapped Pryor and Kelly after they asked him for a ride. It wasn't until the advancements in DNA and forensic processing made it possible for investigators to run samples of inmates that they realized how many cases were connected to the killer. Maryann Carr was also brutally beaten, but police could not positively link the crimes. Jean Reyner was raped, stabbed, mutilated and tortured. When arrested, he had handcuffs, a leather gag, two slave collars, a switchblade knife, replica pistols, and a stockpile of prescription pills. He would stalk the various bars in Manhattan preying on unsuspecting women, trying to unwind from a busy day. In October 1966, he became a computer operator for Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, where he worked until his 1980 arrest. Had he killed more? This murder was later linked to the 1977 murder of Maryann Carr, who was left in the same motel's parking lot. On May 5, 1980, a motel housekeeper found the body of 19-year-old Valerie Ann Street in the Hasbrouck Heights Quality Inn. [2], In 2010, he pleaded guilty to the 1967 murder of Nancy Vogel. The doc also spotlights a conversation with Jennifer Weiss, DeedahGoodarzi's biological daughter, who made headlines last year when she struck up an unlikely friendship with her mother's killer while he served his prison sentence. A married mother of 2, Nancy Vogel was found dumped in her car. Richards criminal activity continued in 1969 when he was convicted of driving while intoxicated in New York. Six months later, in early May 1980, the 'psychopathic sexual sadist' who had been officially dubbed in the press as 'The Torso Killer' struck again. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. He said that uncountable times.. Richard Cottingham, now 78, is a former computer programmer linked to at least 12 murders from the 60s and 70s. [1] He was nicknamed the New York Ripper, the Torso Killer and the Times Square Killer, since his crimes often targeted prostitutes and included mutilation. As a professional engineer in 17 states, I have been a voice for the functionality, efficiency, and sustainability of commercial and industrial facilities. Richard Cottingham was born on November 25th, 1946 in the Bronx, New York. The murder remained unsolved until Cottingham confessed and entered a guilty plea in August 2010. On the other hand, arresting officers had relieved him of handcuffs, a leather gag and two slave collars, a switchblade and replica pistol, plus several bottles of pills. Deedeh Goodarzi and another unknown female had joined Richard in a hotel room near his stomping grounds of Times Square. This case was soon linked to his previous murder victim, Helen Sikes, letting police know they were dealing with a serial killer. One of the unsolved cases was solved when he admitted guilt in the 1967 murder of Nancy Vogel, in 2010. She was in hysterics, crapping on about what this guy had put her through. This murder was linked to an earlier murder in the same motel. [13][14] Anzilotti had spent 15 years interviewing Cottingham, working toward the confession. richard cottingham trophy room. Richard Cottingham wasconvicted of five murders and numerous counts of kidnapping and sexual assault using evidence found in his 'trophy room' combined with a matching fingerprint left on handcuffs used in the murder of Valerie Street. But Cottinghams depravity was much deeper than police realized at the time of his arrest. The police apprehended Richard Cottingham while trying to flee. According to The Associated Press, Cottingham confessed to. Once he spotted his prey he would attempt to slip drugs into their drinks, take them to a motel, then sexually torture the women for hours. With that in mind, many investigators as well as the hotel staff had a lingering question. On August 21, 1972, he is charged and convicted of shoplifting at a Stern's department store in Paramus, New Jersey, and was sentenced to pay a $50 fine or ten days in jail. The prisoner, 33-year-old Richard Francis Cottingham, made an unlikely suspect at first glance. Crime Scene director Joe Berlinger could have focused on countless serial killers for the second season of his Netflix true-crime series. When she was found, she'd suffered beatings to her head and body, but her ultimate cause of death was suffocation. She would die of asphyxiation and once finished, Richard stuffed the girl under the bed. Investigators were again able to quickly link this murder with many others due to the killer's M.O. Leslie told the authorities that Richard picked her up in New York City, New York, and brought her to the motel in New Jersey. Tow Guys Towing. Were not ruling out the possibility that two men could have been involved.. After failing to return home from a trip to buy shoes at the Green Acres Mall in Valley Stream, New York,[9] 23-year old Diane Cusick was found raped, beaten, and strangled to death in the back seat of her car, parked near the mall. In 1964, Cottingham graduated from Pascack Valley High School in Hillsdale, New Jersey. He had three children, two boys and a girl, with his wife. richard cottingham trophy room. Police had no suspects and the case quickly grew cold, collecting dust in a file for years. Surviving that attempt and two others, he was held under $250,000 bond while detectives built their overwhelming case against him. She had been given one hell of a beating and her killer had eaten away at her nipples, almost severing one. Confounded, investigators used mannequins from nearby department stores and dressed them in the victims' clothing, hoping someone might come forward with information. Biting, raping and beating the girl. Her body would be left in the room and subsequently set ablaze by Cottingham before fleeing the scene. On December 15, 1977, the body of X-ray technician Maryann Carr, 26, was found brutally beaten and strangled in the parking lot of the Quality Inn motel in Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey, but police did not link the murder to Cottingham until his 1980 arrest at the same motel. After his arrest, NYPD drew comparisons to the numerous unsolved sexual assault cases with similar hallmarks to the New Jersey crimes. The woman from the motel ended up surviving his torture, but police found her tied up and suffering from knife wounds and human teeth marks. Cottingham was caught in 1980 when a maid heard a woman's screams coming from his motel room. Criminally Intrigued is a Podcast and Blog covering all aspects of True Crime. On Monday, July 13, 1969, at approximately 8:00 p.m., On March 1, 1970, a group of hikers came across a young woman's naked body in the woods to the west of Tweed Boulevard in, At approximately 7:00 a.m. on the morning of December 16, 1977, the body of X-ray technician, At 9:30 a.m. on May 22, 1980, police entered Room 117 at the same Quality Inn where Carr and Street were murdered and found 18-year-old, This page was last edited on 16 February 2023, at 09:15. Later on, Richard took a job with Blue Cross Blue Shield in New York as a computer operator. In the thirteen-year period during which he is known to have committed at least seventeen murders, only one fingerprint belonging to him was ever recovered, from the ratchet mechanism of handcuffs left behind on Valerie Street. Goodarzi was only 22 when she was killed, beheaded and set on fire. Her killer, Richard Cottingham, was a computer operator, married with three children of his own, living a seemingly normal life. Richard was then brought to justice for his crimes, and over the years, has admitted to committing even more murders. He is currently being held at the New Jersey State Prison in Trenton, NJ, and is not eligible for parole. Soon after their arrival then man tried to escape but was apprehended shortly thereafter. Their skulls were never found. Richards lust seemed to never fully be satisfied and in December of 1977, Maryann Carr would be claimed as his next victim. Netflix's documentary Crime Scene: The Times Square Killer examines the notorious case of Richard Cottingham - also known as 'The Torso Killer' -who claimed to have raped, slaughtered and mutilated more than 100 women between 1967 and 1980. The story of the Torso Killer began on Dec. 2, 1979, when firefighters were called to the Travel Inn near Times Square. And Richard spent inordinate amounts of time in their basement, where Janet later found womens clothing, shoes, and jewelry. Richard had also kidnapped 17-year-old Mary Ann Pryor and 16-year-old Lorraine Marie Kelly in August 1974 Manhattan, New York. In addition to killing sex workers, Richard Cottingham had also killed a number of girls and women in New Jersey. [7] In a 2009 interview, Cottingham admitted to the murders and claimed that he severed the heads and hands of the victims to prevent their identification, as he was acquainted with Goodarzi and had been seen with her in a bar the night before.[2]. Do not sell or share my personal information. Trophies like jewellery and other personal items belonging to his victims were taken by him. The first killing was that of Valerie Ann Street. Play it now! He decapitated the women and cut off their hands before setting them on fire. In 1948, Cottingham's family moved to Dumont, New Jersey, and in 1956 to River Vale, New Jersey, where he began his fascination with bondage pornography. In 1958, at 12 years of age, he and his family would move to River Vale, New Jersey. Cottingham had been in the process of torturing his latest victim, 19-year-old Leslie Ann O'Dell, who survived the attack and testified against him during his trial. The sexual predator prowled Times Square for his victims which was considered a deviant playground for pornography, prostitution and crooks, The documentary paints a terrifying portrait of a city overrun with crime, which allowed Cottingham to flourish and evade law enforcement. For about six months between 1979 and 1980, Cottingham murdered sex workers in brutal fashion. Now she's accused of killing 5 in horrific Windsor Hills crash. Its unclear what he was stealing, if he was short on money or so there was no trail of him purchasing a specific item. 'It was pretty much the hotel room from hell,' said detective Malcolm Reiman in the documentary. In 1984, convicted on three counts of second-degree murder, involving Times Square prostitutes, Richard Francis Cottingham earned a final sentence of 75 years to life. A year after the previous charges he would then be charged with unlawful imprisonment and robbery. The body of 25-year-old Jean Reyner, a single mother who was turning tricks to finance a child custody battle, was found violently murdered on May 15, 1980 in a midtown hotel. New York City was gripped with fear after the Travel Inn Motor Hotel murders went unsolved. Who is Richard Cottingham? It is believed that she was his first victim, In 2021Cottingham confessed and pleaded guilty to the double kidnapping and murders of Lorraine Marie Kelly, 16 and Mary Ann Pryor, 17 in 1974. In April 2021, Cottingham confessed to the unsolved 1974 double-abduction, rape, and forcible drowning murders of Lorraine Marie Kelly, 16, and Mary Ann Pryor, 17, in Montvale, one of New Jersey's most notorious cold cases. Investigation of the suspect's background revealed two arrests for consorting with hookers in the early 1970's, with both cases dismissed. The man listened and suggested he could drive her to a different bus terminal in New Jersey to get her back home, away from her abusive pimp. She later testified that he said, "You have to take it. Did he intend on killing this poor girl? On September 4, 1973, Cottingham was arrested in New York City for robbery, oral sodomy and sexual abuse on the complaint of a prostitute and her pimp. This time, he strangled and slit the throat of 25-year-old Jean Reyner, a single mother who had been working as a call girl to finance a custody battle. Irene Blase, aged 18, vanished on April 7, 1969, in Hackensack and was found face down in four feet of water in the Saddle River, strangled with a wire, a cord, or perhaps the chain of a crucifix she was wearing. Cottingham was apprehended in the hallway by arriving police officers. You're in complete control of somebody's destiny. Pornographic films are advertised in Manhattans Times Square in January 1971. It was the era when the Big Apple was nicknamed 'Fear City' and Times Square was a deviant drain of illicit thrills, pornography, prostitution and crooks - providing the sexual predator with the perfect hunting ground. Though Anzilotti has retired, the detective believes that Richard Cottingham could be responsible for dozens of other unsolved cases. But the question remained: Who was Richard Cottingham? As Cottingham was fleeing the scene of the torso murders, he briefly encountered the 23-year-old Peter Vronsky, who was attempting to check into the Travel Inn while in New York on a film production assignment. Richards wife filed for divorce in 1979, after years of affairs, but it was never finalized. Diane Cusick's daughter Darlene Altman is now 58 years old and was present in the courtroom as Cottingham admitted to killing her mother via video conference. When they entered the room they found a young girl handcuffed to the bed. "We had a very complicated car vs pole situation and tow guys came to Tustin within 30 minutes on a Sunday evening and did an incredible job assisting us with removing the car off of" more. Its God-like, almost. All That's Interesting is a Brooklyn-based digital publisher that seeks out stories that illuminate the past, present, and future. Shed be discovered by hotel staff accidentally when they were attempting to vacuum underneath the bed. Then in exchange for immunity from prosecution, he confessed to murdering three New Jersey schoolgirls. Directed by serial killer-aficionado Joe Berlinger, the Netflix series features interviews with former detectives, police officers, sex workers. 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They had been doused with lighter fluid and set alight. O'Dell's muffled cries of pain became so loud that the motel staff, already uneased by the previous two murders of Carr and Street, called police and then rushed to the room demanding that Cottingham open the door. Adorable Skeleton Air Freshener Vent Clips for Car Interior, Novelty Hoodie Blood Splatter / Hooded Sweatshirt with Drawstrings, Novelty Hoodie Floral Skulls / Hooded Sweatshirt with Drawstrings 3D Drawing Unisex. I thought he could be responsible for some, Anzilotti said, explaining that while the methods and victims were different, the timing matched. Within his home, detectives were able to find his trophy room which contained multiple personal items and keepsakes which belonged to his victims. The baffled police had few clues to follow. Former FBI agent and criminal profiler Candice DeLong delves into Richard Cottingham, the Torso Killer. It is unclear how exactly he killed the two women, but he would go on to severe their heads and their hands. A serial killer known as the "Torso Killer" already convicted of 11 homicides admitted on Monday that he also killed five women on Long Island in the late 60s and early 70s. 3 years later, in 1972, Richard would be caught shoplifting from a local store. Soon after checking in, the 18-year-old girls screams began to echo throughout the halls of the hotel. On May 22, 1980, Cottingham picked up Leslie Ann O'Dell in Midtown Manhattan and dragged her back to the same New Jersey motel where he mutilated his last victim just 18 days earlier. 2020 THE SUN, US, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | TERMS OF USE | PRIVACY | YOUR AD CHOICES | SITEMAP, Richard Cottingham makes a remote appearance at a courtroom in Mineola, NY, Cottingham's original mug shot photo from 1980. Who is torso killer Richard Cottingham, and where is he now? Investigators were again able to quickly link this murder with many others due to the killers M.O. Former FBI agent and criminal profiler Candice DeLong delves into Richard Cottingham, Show Killer Psyche, Ep Richard Cottingham: The Torso Killer - Mar 7, 2023 On May 15th another prostitute was found murdered in a motel room. A search of Cottingham's home turned up a bizarre "trophy room," containing personal effects from several of the murdered prostitutes. Her legs had also been hacked off, and were eventually found a block away from the rest of the body. She was also the mother of a then-four-year-old girl. He was known for his signature "trophy taking," keeping items belonging to his victims as mementos. [21] Cottingham was apparently "forensically aware" in the era before DNA analysis. Cottingham committed his first known murder when he was 20-years-old, although he claims to have started as an adolescent. Weiss was given up for adoption when she was less than two weeks old. FROM THE FOUNDER. He was also found guilty of kidnapping and assault, with his sentence going up to more than 200 years. This site contains affiliate links. The first victim was 19-year-old Valerie Ann Street, whose body was found naked and bloodied in a Hasbrouck Heights motel on May 4 (via Radford University ). The couple had met a few hours earlier in Manhattan. one strange rock gasp quizlet New Lab; glider timetable dundonald park and ride; 12 gauge 100 round drum; Richard Cottingham was found guilty of five murders and numerous counts of kidnapping and s*xual assault using evidence found in his 'trophy room' combined with a matching fingerprint left on the handcuffs used in the Valerie Street murder. Richard was also connected to the murder of Valerie Street in New Jersey. Bergen County Prosecutors OfficeRichard Cottinghams mugshot. He bragged to police officers and fellow inmates that he had murdered more than 100 women in various parts of the United States throughout his active years. Farm Heroes Saga, the #4 Game on iTunes. December of 1979, would be Richards most vicious attack to date. Thankfully, Cottinghams reign of terror would not last forever. [7] On October 28, 1967, he strangled Nancy Schiava Vogel, a 29-year-old married mother of two, in Little Ferry, New Jersey. In a strange turn of events,Deedah Goodarzi's biological daughter, Jennifer Weiss has forged an unlikely friendship with the man who strangled and beheaded her mother in 1979. Born in the Bronx on Nov. 25, 1946, Richard Cottingham lived an outwardly normal life. Richard was arrested at a motel in Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey, in May 1980. Neither complainant appeared in further proceedings, however, and the case was dismissed. 'So I maintain a relationship with Richard now because I want the names of the unidentified victims he took. Prison records indicate that Richard, now about 74 years old, remains incarcerated at South Woods State Prison in Bridgeton, New Jersey. Authorities believed it to be, thus far, the oldest criminal case to be solved and prosecuted by direct DNA evidence. 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When police arrived they caught a man trying to flee the room. On May 5, 1980, police found another prostitute, Valerie Streets, dead in a motel room. She was positively identified through a cesarean-section scar after a friend recognized her clothing. Dominick Volpe, a former colleague at BlueCross BlueShield, testifies to Cottingham's perverse sexual tendencies. She agreed to have sex with him for money. This would also be the same hotel where Richard would eventually be apprehended. When hotel staff investigated further, Leslie Ann O'Dell cracked open the door and quietly signaled for help. Cottingham offered to give O'Dell a massage and she rolled onto her stomach. He would be charged with the murders of most of his victims in New Jersey and in New York City. She had recently been arrested in Miami for prostitution and was last seen getting picked up by a John in New York City on May 5, 1980. His wife withdrew the petition upon his arrest in May 1980, then completed the divorce after his 1981 conviction. Leaving some without hands or heads, he soon earned the moniker of The Times Square Torso Killer or The New York Ripper.. One slain woman was positively identified througha cesarean-section scar as 22-year-old, Iranian prostitute, Deedeh Goodarzi. A few months later, on May 5, 1980, a housekeeper at a Quality Inn in New Jersey found the body of 19-year old Valerie Ann Street stuffed under the bed. Bluecross BlueShield, testifies to Cottingham 's perverse sexual tendencies believed it be... Police had no suspects and the case quickly grew cold, collecting dust in a file for years criminal Candice. Would eventually be apprehended computer programmer linked to at least 12 murders from rest... Delong delves into Richard Cottingham was dismissed given up for adoption when she found. 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